No Crib Bumpers – & a clever crib bedding solution

Parents, it is official. The American Academy of Pediatrics released a new policy statement Tuesday, October 18 at the AAP National Conference & Exhibition in Boston entitled “SIDS and Other Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Expansion of Recommendations for a Safe Infant Sleeping Environment”. The report stated “There are other products that attach to crib sides or crib slats that claim to protect infants from injury. However, there are no published data that support these claims. Because of the potential for suffocation, entrapment, and strangulation and lack of evidence to support that bumper pads or similar products that attach to crib slats or sides prevent injury in young infants, the AAP does not recommend their use.”. And this also includes the breathable crib bumpers.

Let’s face it, being an interior designer the first thing I did was to pick up a crib bedding set for Aiden’s nursery. And unfortunately we dropped around $350 for his crib bedding set before Aiden’s pediatrician told us that we are not to put anything in his crib, including crib bumpers (this was about 10 months before the official announcement). Knowing the danger of SIDS, we quickly put the bumper away. So the adorable bumper makes its first and only debut at a photo shoot and is now sitting in Aiden’s closet.

I was so excited to see this patent pending super clever crib bumper alternative – the “Complete Sheet” by Skip Hop. The Complete Sheet is essentially a standard fitted sheet but the sides have a different and larger pattern than the top to give the illusion of a decorative bumper.

The Complete Sheet comes in 7 designs (Lattice will be available in two colors) and will be in stores in November selling for $24 or $120 for a coordinated 4-piece set including the sheet, crib skirt, blanket and wearable blanket.